A comprehensive book on the social and political geography of one of the most distinctive newly independent States to emerge from the collapse of the Soviet Union. Being one of the most developed Soviet republics in terms of levels of welfare, education and cultural activity, Georgia is fiercely defending its national self-identity and striving for independence. The difficult process of building a nation-State and of concurrent dramatic social changes has led in the 1990s to serious complications in its development, even to the point of several civil wars. But there are signs that the crisis will be overcome before long.